County Arms Birr

The hotel, rooms and grounds were all very good, so it was a nice place to stay. The food and service, though, were poor. The staff seemed friendly enough, but it was clear they hadn’t been trained properly. Restaurant dishes, especially the fish, were hard, dry and bland. The beer glasses at the bar were filthy, and I had to ask for a clean one more than once. Breakfast portions were huge and service was good, but the food still lacked flavour. So, good for a stay, disappointing for food and service.

We spent one night here over the bank holiday and had a lovely time. The grounds are fabulous, and it’s easy to get to. Check-in staff were really friendly, the restaurant team were excellent, and we enjoyed the food, pool and jacuzzi. We’ll be happy to come back.

We’ve stayed at the County Arms several times over the years, so I wanted to give an honest review. There’s plenty of parking, the staff are friendly and willing to help, and the beds are comfortable. But the rooms feel tired and need updating, especially on floor 2. The hotel presents itself as 4-star, but to me it’s 3-star at best, particularly for the price. Maybe that’s connected to the lack of competition in Birr, since they also own Dooley’s Hotel in the town centre. The shower over the small bath had poor water pressure, a curtain and a rubber bath mat. There wasn’t much room to shower comfortably, and there was no bottled water in the room. Rooms looking over the rear car park were noisy, with deliveries starting at 7am and building work going on. None of that was explained at check-in, and I don’t understand why. Breakfast was nice but nothing special. I didn’t use the spa or eat in the bar or restaurant, so can’t comment on those. On an earlier visit, during a family wedding in Birr, we had to change rooms twice: one had poor water pressure, and in the second, water leaked across the bathroom floor. We complained and got a refund for two of our seven nights, which was only fair.

Last Thursday evening, we had dinner for two in the bar to celebrate our anniversary. The food and service were lovely, and we were especially touched by the “happy Anniversary” message on our desserts. That thoughtful extra kindness really stood out. Many thanks to Ella and Trisha, who looked after us so well. Five stars.